A Touch of France
Designed in the spirit of France’s Palais de Versailles, the 2,827-seat Palace Theatre is located at the base of the LeVeque Tower on Broad Street. Adorned with a chandelier, grand staircase, a mural, a hall of autographed pictures, and a fountain, the Palace is a delightful destination for an evening of the arts. Originally a vaudeville house, special attention was paid to the theatre’s acoustics when it was built-consequently, there’s not a bad seat in the house!

A Community Treasure
During the '30s, '40s, and '50s, the Palace Theatre was the most active live show theatre in Columbus. Still a popular venue today, the theatre rarely has a dark night. Among the many events showcased are CAPA concerts, performances of the Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Columbus Series, special events, and several local community events and shows.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 12:42 AM
By Curtis Schieber
FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Leonard Cohen didn't show up alone last night for his concert in the Palace Theatre. He sported a posse of nine equipped with an arsenal of instruments for what may have been his first sortie into central Ohio during a long and distinguished career.

But his armor consisted mostly of an old satchel of words that he has juggled for decades with respect, adoration, humor and more than a little obsession - all the while marrying them with an uncanny intuition into durable and sometimes unforgettable melodies.

Already a well-known poet when he released his debut album of songs in 1967, Cohen applied an unlikely singing voice to recordings that brought eloquent lyrics to the mainstream. His first single, Suzanne, was a major hit.

Likely, most of last night's packed house had been waiting more than 40 years to hear him live. In an exhaustive, three-hour review of his entire catalogue, the 75-year-old was charming, entertaining and suave in his tailored suit.

More importantly, he showed that his relationship with his songs, oldest to newest, is still vital and dynamic.

He began on his knees, delivering the lyrics to Dance Me To The End Of Love with a mix of reverence and a glimmer of the undiminished sexuality that would seduce the crowd frequently.

Cohen's reverence is of the highest order. It rang true last night in Tower Of Song, even as it was infused by a little humor. ("I said to Hank Williams, 'How lonely does it get?' Hank Williams hasn't answered yet.") It described the impossibility of true freedom in the human condition during a devastating reading of Bird On A Wire.

His relationship with the lyric also sharpened the contradicting positions in songs such as Everybody Knows, which is bleak and hilarious but nonetheless in search of community.

Holding the mike in his right hand, Cohen dramatically used his left in the service of addressing his lyrics. One minute he used it to usher them out of his mouth, releasing them into the ether as though they were children being set free. In another minute, he caressed an imaginary lover's face as he delivered them with love, spite and delicacy.

Cohen, whose relationship with his songs seems to deepen as he ages, had no difficulty with the sexiest. The sordid encounter in Chelsea Hotel #2 has become less bitter and a whole lot more liberating.

"I want to see you naked," he sang in Ain't No Cure For Love. For a septuagenarian to deliver such a line and still seduce is proof positive that, in the right hands, the word is sexiest.

well, last night was a special night of music for me....i finally got to see leonard cohen for the first time in my life as he performed at the palace theater in columbus, ohio...my dad and i drove 3 hours each way from pittsburgh to see him (he never stopped in our town so i had a choice between columbus and cleveland)...

what i can say about leonard cohen is he demonstrates amazing grace, splendor and humility on stage (and probably off as well). he's a real gentleman, very well dressed and absolutely as classy as one can get. people like him are role models to me, because i rarely see a person bow on stage to each member of his travelling band so many times (as well as introduce them multiple times). and wow were his musicians professional too... it was a perfect concert in every aspect, from the props that made their way on stage during certain songs (the box of chocolates and a long-stemmed rose during "everybody knows" and the monkey and the plywood violin during "first we take manhattan") to the subtle lighting transitions to the sound and clarity to the pacing of the music and to the audience participation.

without sounding too star-struck, i feel fortunate to have finally witnessed one of mankind's most accomplished songwriters live before it was too late (i put bob dylan in the same class as this guy, and at times, maybe not even equaled either)...and from my perch up in the mezzanine, i had some high powered binoculars where i could zoom in on the scene...at one moment during "aint no cure for love", i could see leonard cohen with his eyes closed, smiling with a serene expression on his face as he wore his black fedora hat in his tailored suit...this is something i could have never seen from the naked eye way up in the balcony..and when he played "anthem", tears came to my eyes when i finally heard these lyrics recited live: "there is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in"..

leonard cohen's music is as vital as ever. dark, yet perfect for today's society and ever growing more so. impending doomsday is laced throughout his songs and i could never agree more with his mind. his music speaks to me and in a moment of clarity last night, i realize that i am truly on his wavelength. last night, whether or not i either had a religious experience or was seduced by leonard cohen isn't important. what is important is that they don't make men like leonard anymore.

The center of the universe came to town and fell to one knee and then to both, frequently. For Leonard Cohen is no ordinary mortal, and his concert Tuesday night at the Palace gained immortality with every passing moment.

That style often incorporated a spare variety of the blues and was always delivered with a soothing, lulling metabolism. Cohen’s musical heartbeat is calm. His lyrics, anything but.

Opening with “Dance Me to the End of Love,” Cohen dropped to one knee and buried his head in the mike, his baritone tones and words heard perfectly over the highly sympathetic band. By the second verse, he was on both knees, singing to his Spanish guitarist.

“Dance me with your beauty to a burning violin”—ah, nice line. So much better than the Indigo Girls.

Second number: “I’ve seen the future, brother/And it is murder,” Cohen sang from “The Future,” a dark song going back and forth in history, mentioning totalitarianism, religion and even feminism’s war on children as his last verse progressed lyrically. “Give me Christ or give me Hiroshima/Destroy another fetus now/we don’t like children anyhow.” Whew, right on, my celebrated Zen brother (he maintains his Jewish faith despite being an ordained Buddhist monk).

Complexity is Cohen’s game, but like a true Zen master, he made it look effortless no matter what the song of the moment was about, be it love, hate, depression, war or sex. And while he was performing and his band was smoothly laying out his barely textured music, ol’ Leonard complemented it all by doing a few soft-shoe steps. Everything about him suggests completeness.

The only other performer to compare him to would be Tom Waits, whose show at the Ohio Theatre last year was also magnificent but in a different way. Waits sweated nearly as much as James Brown; Cohen never broke a sweat.

Also, there were times when Cohen’s body language suggested a shadow boxer’s pose. God, I loved this man’s wordless contradictions.

The Cohen canon was indulged: “Bird On A Wire,” which included two of the greatest guitar and sax solos heard this year; “Everybody Knows”; “Secret Light”; “Chelsea Hotel”; and “Waiting for the Miracle,” during which I swear he got younger and it also occurred to me that he was the inventor of adult-contemporary’s “quiet storm” genre.
Complexity is Cohen’s game, but like a true Zen master, he made it look effortless.

Thanks to the lullaby-esque quality of the band and music, the night’s emotional temperature maintained a constancy—the heaviest themes ever contemplated in pop notwithstanding. That is, until “Chelsea Hotel” and “Miracle.” Something deepened in the show, and I was struck by how deftly Cohen managed it. Is he a sage of some sort? I think so.

The contribution of the three female backing singers cannot be understated. Not only did they provide a melodic counterpoint to his ageless baritone (he sounded very good the whole night), but I think their vocals represented the female point of view. I mean, ol’ Lenny sings about sex and getting screwed over in nearly every other song, but there are always two points of view, true?

And, oh my God, the second set. After intermission, Cohen comfortably topped his first set and built to the soul-climatic “Hallelujah” (“I did not come to Columbus to fool ya”)—and that after Cohen classics like “Tower of Song,” “Suzanne” and “Sisters of Mercy.” And I’m not even going to try tell you how heart-stopping and life-changing “A Thousand Kisses Deep” was as Cohen delivered it as straight spoken word.

The audience, which had given him a standing ovation the moment he walked out, was his congregation, and I was just another member of his flock of loving sheep. Baa.

First Set
*Dance Me To The End Of Love
*The Future
*Ain't No Cure For Love
*Bird On The Wire (when he sings 'love that twisted me', he twists his whole body)
*Everybody Knows
*In My Secret Live (He sings 'and hell I know what is right)
*Who By Fire (sounds like a really different Javier into - not as intense)
*Chelsea Hotel #2 (BEST rendition I have seen and heard to date -extreme depth of emotion through the whole song and especially during the line 'we are ugly but we have the music')
*Waiting For The Miracle
*Anthem (preceded by recitation on 'The Flood' and part of 'Anthem') (must have been private joke during 'the marriage spent', Dino is laughing and looking at LC, after the line, LC looks at Dino and smiles)

Added words to the intos at this point for Bob and Neil; 'Bob Metzger who with his guitar strings weaves song to song'; 'Neil Larsen, foremost expert in the country...'

Hello all. Life has changed once again after being in the presence of Mr. Leonard Cohen. Columbus was fabulous. I saw him in May and his energy and passion last night was still there. Obviously this world tour hasn't zapped much from this amazing artist. There are some performers who can fake passion, but Leonard exudes it without trying. He is lean and intense and forever the gentleman and gentle man.

It was nice meeting you Mary and the other forum members. I was sitting right behind you Mary and you were so darn cute with enthusiasm. And I certainly understood. I was out of my seat many, many times with arms in the air. Only for Leonard Cohen and his outstanding partners on stage.

Just want you to know that I tried extra hard to get the blessings for you. Never having done so, I did a video on my camera, only to have it disappear. My son said it was because I didn't push something at the end to save it.

Before the concert, I also printed up as many versions of it that I could quickly find. So, even though I was recording, I was also underlining the proper words on my copy (this multi-tasking must have produced one heck of a video if it materialized).

The blessing was;

On behalf of the crew........(LC names them all here)

Thank you friends
It's a great honor to play for you

If you've gotta fall, fall on the side of luck
And this is a tricky one - try to be kind.

May you be surrounded by family and friends.
And if this is not your lot,
May the blessing find you in your solitude.

I'm pretty sure this is accurate. Hope this helps in your compilation.

Jayne Sachs wrote:I was sitting right behind you Mary and you were so darn cute with enthusiasm.

MaryB. Your multi-tasking talents abound! You are a Renaissance Cohenite Superwoman. Your annotated setlist is the best, most enjoyable one yet. Your verbatim report of the Blessings is an effort extraordinaire.

So this was the first show that I saw from up close... A very nice group of people (one minor exception was slightly annoying, but unworthy of attention). Met some unbelievably nice and hospitable Ohioans, enjoyed watching MaryB (yes, Mary - you were wonderful), but mostly - Leonard singing just three metres away from me was just overwhelming. As such, my memory is a bit fuzzy - I was too emotional, everything went by in a second, we yelled, we jumped, my throat is a bit sore and I'm back to Toronto... An absolutely incredible ending to my little adventure and thank you all the nice people from Columbus and Ohio for making this evening so special and sharing your great company with me.

Leonard rocked Columbus! The show was perfection. It seemed especially intimate as the stage wasn't particularly large and we managed to get row 7 seats. Many of the people I spoke with hadn't seen the show before and I thought that the audience started out not as excited as I have come to expect but they were soon won over standing and begging for more. Leonard was energetic, in very fine voice. He did the quiet songs with great expression. It was a joyous celebration. After the concert we wandered around hoping to run into Leonard as had Mary, but instead we were delighted to find Dino and Raphael outside the theatre. They were very charming. Having them on the tour is sure to keep spirits high on the road. I thanked them for being the perfect complement to Leonard's music. Here is a photo.Pam

Halifax May 15, 2008 / New York February 19, 2009 / Boston May 29, 2009/ Columbus October 27, 2009

I'm just now coming down off the "high" from Tuesday night. And this time, I wasn't sick and got to stay for the WHOLE THING.......and it still wasn't enough.......rest up, Mr. Cohen, we've GOT to do this again sometime......

I'm writing an essay about all this...I'll post it as soon as I finish the final draft.....

The doors to the interior box office did open up at 6PM. We were told by one of the ushers (guarding the next set of doors into the lobby/bar/merchandise table area) that entry to the next area would be at 6:30PM. Highly visible 'no cameras or video' signs were posted. Standing at the 'will call' line, I spotted Pam and John (from their mosaic photo - from Connecticut) entering. As we were chatting, Sharon and Sherry (Columbus) joined us, then Gina and her 25 year old daughter (who introduced her mother to LC!-West Virginia). Since I wanted a photo of all together, we stepped outside (fear of camera police) for the following;

I met Jayne Sachs and her husband George (Dayton, Ohio) waiting in line to get inside the inner lobby area. These face-to-face meetups are such a highly satisfying and integral part of the LC concert experience - it was such a tremendous pleasure to finally meet all of you.

Entry into the inner lobby was finally granted around 6:40(?). Even though I looked and looked, no band or tour members appeared for a meet and greet. Perhaps they were frightened about being accosted by this large and unruly group of forum members . Such an opportunity lost .

Because downtown Columbus at night is so exciting and vibrant, sadly a meetup after the concert never materialized - all the bars in the immediate vicinity were closed (I honestly do love living here).

da2008 wrote: enjoyed watching MaryB (yes, Mary - you were wonderful), I was too emotional, everything went by in a second, we yelled, we jumped, my throat is a bit sore and I'm back to Toronto... An absolutely incredible ending to my little adventure and thank you all the nice people from Columbus and Ohio for making this evening so special and sharing your great company with me.

Dimitri,
Then you knew who I was and yet you never came over to say hello ?! Perhaps in LV or SJ, I seem to remember that you will be attending one/both(?), we'll finally have a chance to meet. It's so nice to know I was not alone in my 'enthusiasm'.

As LC said, "We're going to give you everything we've got." They surely did, given the audience response - the best rendition of Chelsea Hotel I have seen to date, and not one misstep during the entire concert!

But there is a definite disadvantage to attending multiple shows - you tend to make comparisons.

My problem here, as has been mentioned in other threads by members who have also attended more than one concert, is that IMHO,
-every song should receive a standing ovation
-audience sing-along should happen during 'So Long Marianne'
-by now we know that the last line of 'I'm Your Man' should be sung by the audience (not just MaryB and LC)
- 'Closing Time' requires audience jumping up and down and movement (again only MaryB in the front row who finally sat down out of embarassment)
-etc.........

The concert performance was perfection itself. Perhaps, if I had never had the priviledge of attending any other concerts, this whole experience would have come off as flawless for me and I would have been thrilled with the audience response. I did glance behind me a number of times (always awkward to do when you are sitting towards the front) and there were a number of standing ovations, a particularly a long, exhuberant one after 'I'm Your Man'. Maybe a view from another part of the venue would have given me a totally different perspective.

Sorry for injecting my negative view, but I did say there was a downside to seeing more than one concert. Do I regret attending this one? Not on your life!!! As is said in a certain vernacular, THEY ROCKED!!!